BROOKLYN ANN—WRITING THE UNUSUAL

My guest is paranormal author, Brooklyn Ann. She writes fun paranormals with memorable characters, set in both historical and contemporary times, and filled with humor, sass, and a bit of snark. 

Brooklyn was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me.

Welcome back to Over Coffee, Brooklyn! 

In your latest book, Wrenching Fate, you've introduced some unusual job choices for both your hero and heroine. A mechanic with a muscle car fetish? A vampire who is a financial adviser? Both are…hmm…different job choices. What made you decide that?

Akasha's character came to mind when I was in the process of restoring my 1980 Datsun 210. I kept envisioning a character who was much more knowledgeable and stronger than I was, chugging a Coors (ewww) and working on big muscle cars, which I'd always admired. She was always so gruff and angry that I wondered what had happened to make her that way. Well, she showed me, and, well, you'll have to read to find out.

As for Silas, although I'd envisioned him becoming a vampire when he fell on the battlefield in Scotland in 1513, his character seemed more reserved than that of an ancient berserker. As a clairvoyant and a Lord Vampire, he would have to be very good at handling money. The finance industry fit him like a glove. He definitely is a businessman... but he's still a warrior underneath his Armani suits. :)

One thing I admired about your characters (especially the women)—they aren't weak or whiny. They've overcome quite a bit. What’s something you admire about Akasha? About Silas?

I admire Akasha's refusal to take shit from anyone and willingness to do anything to protect those she cares about.

I admire Silas's diplomacy and the way he doesn't judge others.

How did writing this novel differ from writing other books?

For one thing, writing a book that takes place in my own back yard was extremely different from my works set in 19th Century Britain. For another, even though these characters are definitely more "real" in my head, getting them to translate to the page was hard for some reason.

Tell us a bit about you? When you were little what did you want to grow up to be?

When I was younger, I kept vacillating between "Paleontologist" and "Rock star." Alas, neither came to be. I was a mechanic for a few years and now I'm a romance author. I never would have believed it. :)

When you’re not writing or working, what are things you like to do?

I like to work on cars, draw, paint, cook, watch cheesy B-horror movies, and of course, read.

What was the single best or luckiest thing that got you published?

I hate to admit, but I think it was the title I came up with for my first regency paranormal romance, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE. That title was originally a joke title I threw out on twitter, but people liked it so much that I took the dare and queried it under that name. I ended up getting a lot of interest among agents and editors and eventually landed my book deal.

What was the biggest adjustment you had to make in life to include your writing?

I had to cut back on movies and book binges and completely stop doing Karaoke and playing on the dart league. I need all that time for writing, researching, and editing. In short, I became a hermit.

What will we see next from you?

My second historical paranormal romance, ONE BITE PER NIGHT releases in August. 
Here’s the blurb

• Since Sia brought up my characters’ unconventional jobs, what are some of the more interesting character occupations you've seen in romance novels? 

Comment for a chance to win an e-copy of WRENCHING FATE!

                                                                                                                                                      

WRENCHING FATE--Brides of Prophesy I

Silas McNaught, Lord Vampire of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is elated when he finds Akasha Hope, the woman his psychic visions revealed to him centuries ago. 

To his surprise, Akasha is infuriated when Silas interferes with her life. Furthermore, she is nothing like the sweet woman he’d envisioned. Instead she's a foul mouthed mechanic and, due to being the accidental result of a military experiment, she possesses the strength of ten men ….and government agents are looking for her. 

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A former mechanic turned paranormal romance author, Brooklyn Ann lives in the beautiful city of Coeur d’Alene with her son, her cat, and a 1980 Datsun 210. She can be found online at http://brooklynann.blogspot.com as well as on twitter and facebook.

Published by SourcebooksBITE ME, YOUR GRACE (April 2013)
ONE BITE PER NIGHT (August 2014)BITE AT FIRST SIGHT (To be announced)    Published by Broken AngelsWRENCHING FATE (February 2014)IRONIC SACRIFICE (To be announced)